Family Matters
by TheFemaleWinchester
Summary: When Tony's cousin comes to stay because of a disagreement with his father, during the middle of a case drought, an old friend appears from Tony's past putting Gibbs, Abby, McGee, Ziva and his little cousin Izzy in trouble
1. Cousin Antho and his Birthday

"Tony

"Tony!" a voice shouted from DiNozzo's bathroom. "You're using the hot water again aren't you?"

Tony snickered from the kitchen. "Sorry Izzy. It isn't me." He twisted the hot water tap a little bit more.

"You really got to pay your hot water bill Tony." Another shout came from the bathroom. "Your girlfriend ain't gonna like a cold shower."

Tony turned off the tap and looked through the fridge. His younger cousin Isabella was staying with him. She had a fight with DiNozzo snr and created a lot of problems between her uncle and herself. Being a drop out of the DiNozzo family he took his little cousin in just until everything was sorted with her and the family. It wouldn't take to long, Tony hoped.

Izzy came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body and her hair. Her eyes were sparkling blue and her hair colour was the same colour as Tony's. She looked at the kitchen sink and then at Tony's face. "You were making my shower cold weren't you?"

Tony shook his head. "How could I do that to my baby cousin?"

"I'm not a baby anymore Antho." Izzy frowned popping a piece of bread into the toaster.

"One never ever call me Antho again and two, you're barely legal." Tony looked at her. "Now go pull some clothes on."

Izzy went into her room and pulled on some clothes before going back into the kitchen. "So Tony, your B'day is coming up soon. What you going to do?"

Tony placed Izzy's freshly made toast onto a plate and pretended he didn't hear her. "There's butter in the fridge."

"Will you butter my bread Tony?" Izzy pouted not saying anything about the sudden change of topic.

"You aren't a baby anymore Iz." Tony took a sip of his freshly made coffee and headed to the door. "I'll check in on you later."

"Hypocrite." Isabella muttered as she bit into her toast.

NCIS

"Morning Gibbs." Tony chimed on his way into the office.

"Your late." Gibbs stated.

"Sorry boss." Tony placed his bag on the floor. "It won't happen again."

"You said the same thing yesterday." Gibbs flipped through some papers in his hand and then looked at Tony. "What's the matter with you lately?"

"Nothing boss apart from lack of caffeine." Tony sat behind his desk and looked over to see Ziva's desk. "Sir where's Ziva?"

"With Abby." Gibbs replied.

"Why is Ziva with Abby?"

"They are talking."

"About what?"

Gibbs turned around and stared at Tony. "Why don't you go ask them?"

Tony quickly got up and smiled. "Just about to do that Boss."

Once he reached the lab he heard two sets of laughing voices coming from the lab. "Good morning ladies." Tony smirked. "What are you two doing?"

Abby grinned and Ziva frowned. "Girly stuff." They said together.

"Ah, so I'm guessing you want me to…?" he started.

"Leave." Ziva smiled sickly sweet.

"Where's McGee?" Tony asked as Abby hugged him.

"Getting checked out by Ducky. He's sick." Abby informed.

"Tell him to stay away from me." Tony grinned.

"I have a question?" Ziva looked serious. "When is the case flood going to end?"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Ziva we haven't gotten a case in two weeks. Don't you mean case drought?"

Ziva waved her hands. "Whatever, when are we getting a new case?"

"Right now." McGee walked into the looking serious.

Tony frowned. "I thought he was supposed to be sick." he whispered to Abby.

Abby nodded. "He has a rash on his…"

"Abby!" McGee shouted.

"But." Abby grimaced. "Sorry Tim."

"Again McGee?" Tony smiled. He then looked at the frowning Ziva. "I'll be rubbing this in forever."

McGee shook his head. "Gibbs wants us upstairs now."

Tony and Ziva nodded to Abby and went upstairs with McGee.

NCIS

"McGee? What'd you find out?" Gibbs asked his Junior Agent.

McGee who had just walked in with Tony and Ziva grabbed some papers off of his desk. "Um…" he flipped through them and looked at Gibbs. "Ex-marine, Thomas Edwards, found in DC woods dead." McGee looked over to where Gibbs was standing a few minutes ago to find no one there.

"Elevator McGee." Tim spun around and looked towards the elevator where Gibbs, Tony and Ziva were all stepping into.

"Oh, right boss." McGee bolted towards the elevator, just making it. "Police found ID about three metres to the left of him and haven't touched the body since leaving it for us."

"Good work McGee. Now where's my coffee?" Gibbs asked.

"Coffee boss?" McGee frowned. "You didn't ask for a coffee."

The elevator stopped moving and Ziva and Tony were glancing between each other trying to be sensible. "Do I need to ask for a coffee?" Gibbs asked.

"Oh that coffee sir. Right away." McGee scrambled out of the elevator with a snickering Tony and Ziva not that far behind.

NCIS

The trees were tall and the ground was rough. The sky was blue and the wildlife was limited to snakes and small mammals. DiNozzo took all of this information in so he could think of the ways that the event which led to the dead Marine took place. If that made any sense…

Everything mattered and that was one of the first things Tony ever learnt. Everything mattered.

Ducky frowned as he went over to inspect the body. "I believe he has been dead for not to much more than a week."

"How you figure Duck?" Gibbs leaned over the body but knew perfectly well. After all he had seen many bodies.

"Well there is some decomposition but not enough for it to have been here for longer than two weeks." Ducky lifted the marines arm with gloved hands and inspected the skin. "These bruises were not caused by fists. No, I do believe this fellow had a rather painful and slow death. See these injuries by his forehead? That was made from a bat. Metal, most probably. I'll do a thorough search back at the lab."

"Someone bag the body." Gibbs called and three field agents ran to his summon.

"Tim? Isn't it DiNozzo's birthday soon?" Ziva asked McGee quietly while Tony was distracted.

McGee shook his head. "I don't know. Ask Abs, she knows everyone's birthday."

"She doesn't know either." Ziva told. "That's what I was asking her before."

McGee looked at Ziva and frowned. "Why do you want to know so badly?" he took a few shots of blood splattered on a tree.

"Because," Ziva stated. "Everyone has celebrated their birthdays except for him. Doesn't he seem like the guy who would go all out for his birthday?"

McGee looked over his shoulder to where Tony was scribbling some notes as he interviewed the guy who found the body. "Yeah he does but there is a lot about Tony that we don't know about."

"But he's so…open" Ziva started.

"Only about other people. Yeah, he says stuff about himself but it's mainly making other people feel bad." Tim nodded he then squinted his eyes as he looked at the bottom of the hill. "Hey what's that?"

Ziva looked at to where McGee was pointing and frowned. Together they edged down the hill until they saw the familiar shape of a body, half buried in the dirt. "Boss, you might want to see this." McGee shouted so his boss could hear.

The sound of shuffling feet reached Ziva and McGee's ears and the sight of Gibbs and Tony popped up by their sides. "We just found him Boss."

Gibbs frowned slightly and looked at his crew. "Take photos, call the baggers and take him to the lab."

Tony looked around and saw another body mound. "Boss I think there's more."

Gibbs, Ziva and McGee followed his line of vision and saw a hand sticking out of lumpy dirt.

"Tell them I want a complete search of these woods within two kilometre radius of where the original body was found." Gibbs looked at Tony and McGee. "Tony, ID these two. See if they have any connection with Edwards. McGee, I want you to find out about the guy who found them and see if they've seen anyone else in these woods." He then looked at Ziva, "You're coming with me."

Ziva followed her boss over to his car. "Where are we going Boss?"

Gibbs looked at her. "We're going golfing.


	2. Get off the Case

Abby sat at her computer hacking into the NCIS files. After a few minutes she was looking through Anthony DiNozzo's folder. "Oh my God!" she quickly picked up her phone and punched in a number.

"Abby?" Ziva's voice popped up confirming she had caller ID.

"I looked into it! I found Tony's birthday." Abby said quickly.

"When is it?"

"This Sunday. As in three days! As in he hasn't told us yet!" Abby shouted.

"Abby calm breaths. I'll talk to you later about it. I'm…golfing." Ziva hung up and left Abby panicking. Abby then called Gibbs. Gibbs picked up.

"Abby?" Gibbs picked up proving he too had caller ID.

"Gibbs is there any big evidence coming in?" she asked quickly.

"Yes Abby there is. Why are you asking this right now?"

"I need to go out. Do you think I have enough time to go out?"

"Go out where?"

"TO BUY TONY A BIRTHDAY PRESENT!" she shouted.

Gibbs fell silent. "Abby we'll talk about it later." he said after a few minutes.

NCIS

Ziva and Gibbs sat at the golf course Gibbs just getting off the phone with Abby. "So why are we here…golfing?" Ziva asked as Gibbs looked at her.

"Edwards was a golfer. Came here a lot." Gibbs explained.

"How do you know that?" Ziva frowned.

Gibbs pulled out a card from his pocket and showed Ziva a ticket with stamps on it. "It says this is his fifth one." Gibbs explained. "Next one was supposed to be free."

Ziva nodded. "Okay so we question people. The front desk is over there." Ziva pointed out to a little hut.

"Front desk?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "I'm thinking more like the sixth hole."

"Why that one?" Ziva frowned.

"Because." Gibbs smiled. "He spent the most time there."

"How do you…?" she never got to finish her sentence because Gibbs had walked off swinging the golf club over his shoulder.

NCIS

"Have you noticed Gibbs has sent us on different tasks today?" Tony frowned after he and McGee arrived back at HQ.

"Yeah I know." McGee frowned. "Usually you'd go with Gibbs, Ziva would be doing what I'm doing and I'd be doing what you're doing."

"I wonder why." Tony felt around for his pockets. "Great. I lost my phone."

"Maybe you left it at the crime scene." Tim shrugged.

"No I think I left it at home. I'll call and check." he picked up his desk phone and dialled his home number.

"Who's at your house to answer?" McGee frowned.

"You don't need to know." DiNozzo smiled letting McGee's imagination go wild.

NCIS

Izzy typed away on her laptop cracking her neck every so often. She had 'Love is a Battlefield' on the stereo and knew her cousin would highly disapprove. She sung to the song and flicked her black hair behind her ear and continued typing. Isabella was practicing to be a lawyer, as her father, mother and uncle had wanted and seeing as both her parents were dead and her uncle was her only caretaker, much to her dismay, she had to study the subject. However she was more interested in music and writing than anything else.

She was typing furiously writing her book when the ringing of a phone disturbed her. It was Tony's home phone and mobile at the same time. "Someone's popular." she muttered placing the laptop on the desk. She headed into the kitchen where the phones were located and held one in either hand.

"Anthony's house, please hold." she said whilst picking up the home phone. She then picked up his mobile.

"Isabella DiNozzo, how may I help you?" she talked.

"Don't look out your window." The dark and dreary voice said.

"What?"

"Don't look out your window." It repeated.

"Who's this?"

"You don't need to know. Tell DiNozzo to get off the case."

"What case?" Isabella asked but was talking to the dial which sounded after someone hung up.

Izzy forgot about the other phone totally when bullets smashed through Tony's kitchen window. She dropped to the floor but received a few shard of glass in her arms and legs.

"Izzy! Izzy!" the voice was heard from the home phone.

Isabella picked it up shaking. "Hello?" she barely whispered.

"Izzy? Are you okay? What happened? What was that noise?" Tony's voice erupted from the other end.

"Tony…?" the girl was in shock.

"I'm coming okay? Are you okay?"

"Your mobile…" she said weakly. "Tony, there's blood."

"I'll be there soon." Tony said panicked shutting the phone from NCIS headquarters.


	3. Gibbs finds out

"Tony

"Where you going?" McGee asked as Tony stormed out of the pen.

"Home." Tony picked up his jacket.

"Wait, why?" McGee followed him. "We got a major case on our hands."

"Izzy's in danger." he entered the elevator.

"Who's Izzy?" Tim tried to get the answer but the elevator doors shut. He puffed and picked up his phone. "Hey Gibbs. Tony just ran out of here after a phone call was to his house and he sounded really distressed. What should I do? Follow him? Okay."

Twenty minutes later Tony pulled up in front of his apartment with McGee not far behind, and stormed in, even forgetting to lock his precious car.

The boys ran up the stairs and quickly unlocked the door. The stereo was blazing with some 80's music and all was eerily still. DiNozzo pulled his gun out and headed into his room. No one. The living room. No one. The spare room and the bathroom were unoccupied leaving one place left. As he headed into the kitchen the first thing he noticed was the shattered glass on the window. Then he saw the blood on the countertop and his eyes lingered there panicked. Quickly he looked to the floor and he saw his little cousin unconscious with large shards of glass sticking out of her back.

Tony held himself together as he checked for a pulse hearing McGee calling Ducky and an ambulance. When Tony felt the light beat of a pulse he let out a breath and pulled his cousin up to his body cradling her. "Come on Izzy. Wake up."

McGee leant down next to Tony. "If I pull the glass out and apply pressure on it there's a less likely chance it'll get infected."

Tony nodded still holding onto his cousin. After McGee ran around the house to find a stashed pair of tweezers in Tony's cupboard he went back and shifted Isabella around so he could remove the glass. Tony couldn't watch as the glass was removed. "I've seen worse stuff than this." he coaxed himself.

"Relative?" McGee asked noticing the similarities between the two.

"Cousin. We're close." Tony explained.

The ambulance arrived with the police who were called by some of the neighbours. "Tony, you have to let go of her." Tony nodded moving away from his cousin as McGee took him to the couch. The ambulance had taken Izzy away and even though Tony wanted to go he had to stay behind for questioning. The police went over everything, looking through things, inspecting the window, taping up areas, until Tony couldn't stand it. McGee, who was explaining what had happened as far as he knew, saw Tony stand up and go outside.

"Uh…just one sec." McGee left the cop waiting and heading over to Tony. "Hey Tony what's up?"

"She came here to get away from conflict. She came here so she could be safe. She didn't come to live with 'Cousin Antho' to get shot at." Tony puffed. "I'm gonna murder the guys who did this."

"Do you want me to call Gibbs?" McGee said taking Tony's shoulder.

"Nah." Tony shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

NCIS

Gibbs found out anyway. "You left while we were on a case?" Gibbs shouted to Tony who was sitting silently behind his desk. Ziva had no idea what was going on and was looking over at Tony confused. Abby was even upstairs sitting on Gibbs's desk whilst McGee was standing at his desk.

"Gibbs…" McGee tried to explain but Tony shot him a dark look.

"What was so important DiNozzo that you had to leave?" Gibbs frowned.

DiNozzo sighed. "I gotta go to the hospital."

"Why?" Gibbs looked at his second in command with searching eyes. He was trying to figure out what happened and Tony hadn't let McGee talk.

"Because I have to." Tony pushed himself up and Gibbs went straight up to Tony looking in his eyes.

"Why aren't you telling me what's going on DiNozzo?" Gibbs's question sounded more like an order.

"I got bigger fish to fry that a stupid homicide case. Someone shot at my baby cousin and I want to know why!" Tony yelled but Gibbs looked unmoved.

"You should've just told me." Gibbs said in the same calm voice he had asked his question in.

"Yeah well no one was supposed to know Izzy was at my house Gibbs. No one. She wanted it like that. None of my relatives knew she was staying with me so she wouldn't become an outcast like me! Now do you know everything Gibbs?" Tony slammed his bag into the wall of the pen and stormed out into the elevator. Everyone in the office was looking warily at Gibbs.

"Abby, find out what happened at Tony's." Gibbs ordered like nothing had happened. "McGee, come with me. Ziva update the director on what we found out."

NCIS

Tony walked through the hospital quickly finding Isabella's room. He sighed softly as he saw who was standing at the door. "Eduardo." Tony greeted his fathers old bodyguard and close friend.

"Anthony." Eduardo nodded.

"So he heard." Tony frowned.

"He's in there now."

"Wouldn't be smart to go in." DiNozzo scratched the back of his head.

"Far from it." Eduardo's thick Italian accent was polite. He had thick black hair and almost yellow-brown eyes. Tony had never seen him out of a suit.

"Is she alright?"

"She will be." Eduardo shifted his eyes away from DiNozzo. "Once we take her back."

"Where are you taking her?" Tony said anger building up.

"Back to Baltimore." Eduardo nodded before looking back to the room.

"She's safer here with me than with him in Baltimore." Tony replied a frown forming on his face.

"This is safer?" the older man scoffed. "I'd like to see danger."

"Don't joke Eduardo."

"Eduardo wouldn't joke when there is a serious situation Anthony." Anthony DiNozzo snr said as he came out of his room.

"Dad." Tony nodded to his father whilst looking away.

"Anthony. I haven't seen you in years." Anthony snr said staring down at his son.

"Yeah it's been a long time." There was no emotion in the younger DiNozzo's voice.

Anthony frowned. "What happened to you cousin?"

"Someone shot at my place and the glass cut into her." Tony sighed.

"You know I could kill you for you've done." Anthony smiled. "You betrayed my trust. You smuggled your cousin, my niece, out of my house."

"Well you were the one who disowned her." Tony smiled back.

"I hardly disowned her…" Anthony laughed but Tony cut through.

"Yeah well that's what she told me when she came running to my apartment soaking wet from the rain and a bruise on the side of her face the size of you hand." Tony raised an eyebrow. "Do you care to explain what happened to someone who can arrest you?"

Anthony laughed harder. "Arrest me…I'll be out in a day."

"Not if I have anything to do with it." Gibbs came striding down the hall with McGee not that far behind.

"And you are you?" Anthony looked to the new comer.

"No one." Tony muttered.

"Special Agent Gibbs. And you must be Anthony DiNozzo Senior." Gibbs gave one of his infamous glares.

"_Si_, I am." Anthony looked to his son with a glint in his eyes. "Tony has never spoken about you."

"I haven't talked to you in years." Tony muttered. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know you almost got your cousin killed." Anthony gave his son a dark look as Tony flinched.

Gibbs stepped between the father and son and stared at Anthony. "This is now an official NCIS case Mr DiNozzo so if you know something to help us please tell us now or else move aside as we have to question your niece."

"My niece has already spoken to the police." Anthony almost growled. "And she is being moved to the Baltimore hospital as soon as possible."

"Hey that's not fair!" Tony raised his voice as Gibbs placed a hand on his shoulder to silence him.

"She can't be moved. The police don't matter seeing as I had this case passed onto me because Miss Isabella DiNozzo became a prime witness in my original case." Gibbs lifted up a piece of paper. "Now Mr DiNozzo, either you let me and your son through to interview your daughter _or_ I have you arrested for withholding information. And trust me, when I arrest you it'll take longer than a month to get through enough hoops to get out."

Anthony DiNozzo senior looked between himself and Eduardo. "You have five minutes."

Tony pushed passed his father and went straight inside.


	4. Interview

Isabella groaned as the light shone through her eyelids

Isabella groaned as the light shone through her eyelids. Even though the doctors had all told her to relax she couldn't. She couldn't even think about sleeping before she knew if Tony was alright.

She opened her eyes and looked to her right and smiled at what she saw. "Tony… and some strange guy." she chuckled. "You look good."

Tony sighed. "You don't."

"Ah well… what can I say?" Izzy smirked. "I'm a little scratched and bruised."

"A little?" Tony scratched the back of his head nervously.

Gibbs stepped forward. "Isabella DiNozzo?"

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" Izzy replied. "I've heard a lot about you."

Gibbs smirked looking at Tony who refused to look at his boss. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Not now." Tony said.

Gibbs looked to his Senior Special Agent and frowned. "Excuse me DiNozzo?"

"She's my cousin Gibbs. Not now." Tony took Isabella's hand. "I'm really sorry Izzy."

"Tony, it's okay. The is no need to protect me." she smirked. "I can answer questions now." Izzy stuck her head over so she could see Gibbs more clearly. "What do you want to know?"

"What happened exactly?" Gibbs asked.

Izzy sighed. "I was on my laptop, listening to music when Tony called to find his mobile. His home phone also rang at the same time."

"Before or after Tony's call?"

"I'm not sure." Izzy shook her head. "Around about the same time I think."

"It's okay. And you answered Tony first."

"Yeah. He called the mobile. I picked up and asked to him to wait before picking up the home phone. When I did some weird voice asked me not to look out the window."

"Did you?"

"No."

"And then what?"

"The glass shattered. And I remember feeling something in my back and then I landed the glass on the floor. I heard Tony in the mobile so I picked it up and… I don't remember what I said. I blacked out." she looked to Tony. "He said something else too."

"What?" Tony frowned.

"Tell DiNozzo to get off the case." Izzy looked between them as Tony and Gibbs shared a look.

NCIS

"How can somebody know?" Abby asked McGee. "I mean, we just got this case this morning. How does somebody already know we're on it?"

McGee shook his head. "I don't know… I mean… unless…" he frowned trying to think.

"McGee?" Abby waved her hand in front of his face. "Unless what?"

McGee tilted his head. "Unless the person was at the crime scene this morning or was at the golf course when Gibbs and Ziva were there."

"But didn't it happen while Gibbs and Ziva were at the golf course?" Abby butted in.

"Then the crime scene."

"Who would recognise Tony and know his cousin was in town?" Abby bit her lip. "I mean, we didn't even know."

"One of Isabella's friends?" he tilted his head to the side.

Abby nodded. "Now we're getting somewhere." Abby dialled a phone number and passed the phone to McGee. "Ask Tony who knows his cousin is in town."

"Why me?" McGee passed the phone back to Abby.

Abby threw him the phone. "It was your idea."

"But you dialled." He threw the phone back to her.

"McGee." Abby threw him the phone when a '_Hello_' was heard on the other line.

Tim pulled the phone up to his ear and made a face at Abby. "Hey Tony, we got an idea about possible suspects."

"_Make this quick McGee; I'm in the hospital with my cousin._"

"We need to know if you or your cousin told anyone she was here. Anyone, a friend, a co-worker."

"We need a list Tony." Abby yelled into the phone.

"_I'll make one right now._" Tony answered quickly. "_Me and only me._"

McGee sighed. "Okay Tony, what if Isabella met up with some friends."

"_She's only been her a week McGee…_"

"Tony, we're only trying to help." Abby said pulling the phone from Tim's hand. "Please just ask her. I know this means a lot to you and we'll help only if you let us."

Tony sighed. "_Thanks Abby. I'll do it now._"

"Why does he listen to you?"

"It's the kavorka." she shrugged back.

_Okay, pretty short but I'm trying my best… _


End file.
